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If you're an architect, interior designer, builder, photographer, or contractor, you are in luck. Because most of your competition doesn't know how to marketing clearly to their ideal clientele.

All you have to do is do things a little differently, and clearly differentiate yourself from your competition.

Here are 5 things most professional business owners don't do when marketing their business online.

1 | Most companies don't tell prospective clients exactly what they specialize in.Most Design, Construction and other professional firms don't tell their visitors exactly what they do right on the home page of their website. It's not enough to say you are an architect, interior designer, or builder. You must specifically explain your niche, and what you specialize in down to the very closest detail. For instance, if you are a Design/Build firm, a clearer message to your best clientele might read: "We Design & Build Custom Modern Homes For Families in Seattle." Your clear slogan, elevator pitch, or one-liner makes it clear what you do and who you do work for without them having to guess at all. When your visitors are an exact match to what you do, they're much closer to converting as a client of yours because you specialize in exactly what they want! They'll likely end up not going with anyone else, because they already found the right firm for them - you!

2 | Most professional firms don't target their clients specifically enough.Once you have the right slogan that you can use for every single marketing material you use, you can more easily target your ideal clients. For instance, if your best, highest-profit service is building custom modern homes for families in Seattle, you can then use advertising or other marketing methods to speak directly to them. For instance, if your ideal client is women in their 40s or 50s, with children in middle school and high school, that live in Kirkland, Bellevue, and Redmond, and have an average annual income of $180,000 USD or more, then you can specifically target them online with things like Google Ads. You know who your best customers are, and what your highest-profit/best services are, so you can use that knowledge to target exactly the right kind of people. Once you have a clear primary service and a clear ideal client, then you can run towards marketing & advertising with a clear focus.

3 | Most professional businesses don't make it clear what the first step their prospective clients should takeThere are 2 key things you must do on your website to convert clients with ease. First, you must give them clear step-by-step instructions. You should let visitors know exactly what they need to do to get a "first impression" of your business. You are not trying to convert them into a client immediately. Instead, give them a clear path of "testing you out" that will eventually leave them to signing an agreement. For instance, most design/build firms could use this kind of process: Step 1) Schedule A Free Consultation With Our Team, Step 2) We'll Provide An Estimate & Timeline For Your Project, Step 3) We'll Start & Complete The Perfect Modern Home For Your Family In Seattle. This way, clients know what to expect if they were to work with you. And the first step for your clients is to "Test the waters" with your normal on-boarding process. You want to make sure these potential clients fit your "best client" profile with a no-risk phone call, meeting, appointment, proposal or other means in which you begin the very first steps.

4 | Most professionals don't follow up with potential clientele regularly enoughYour website is only a first impression. But the average visitor to a brand new website or business (especially if they're hiring you for a custom build or design project) needs at least 7 different impressions of your business before they're ready to get started. While your website is an important first step, you need to continually give potential clients an understanding of what it may be like to work with you, through email marketing, a video, a phone call, a meeting, or a note in the mail. These do not all need to be customized for every single client. Some can be automated, and others can be personalized. Just remember that clients are hesitant to choose an architect, interior designer or photographer because they want to make sure they're making a wise choice. Give them every reason in the world to pick you by engaging several times in a non-intimidating way by answering common questions your clients usually have, address their typical fears or worries of hiring someone, and be more present than any other architect, interior designer, photographer or skilled professional in your industry.

5 | Most companies don't interview their past clientsThere are tons of things to learn how you can make your overall process better, primarily by asking your absolute best clients from the past why they liked working with you and what made them choose you. Don't ask for a critique. Ask for what you did right. Your previous clients will give you new ideas of how you can clearly communicate with more clients like them in the future. Surveys and interviews will give you some of the most valuable info your business could ever get and propel you to the next level in your business.

We help architects, interior designers, builders. photographers and other creative professionals to build beautiful websites & plan effective marketing so that they dominate their competition.